MicahJohn

My flight got in late to Beijing, and I missed my flight out to Bangkok. I’m stuck in Beijing for the night. More details to follow.

As I sit down to write this I am sure I will miss a number of significant events from the past few days.

Thursday afternoon Gabriel and I drove over to Sarah’s older sisters house. We helped with assorted wedding prep while Nathanael worked on the wedding cake.

While we were there David and Sie showed up, followed by Jon L. As we got ready to steal Nathanael away for a Bachelors’ time out, we discovered that Jon’s keys were locked in his van. AAA came to a speedy rescue and had the keys out in thirty minutes, just enough time for another batch of cake frosting. We bachelors followed the directions of Sarah’s sister and brother in-law to a nice short hike.

At the trail head for purgatory falls we found a lot of big backwood vehicles and a lady on a radio. A K9 search and rescue team was doing drills in the woods. After getting radio permission, we began our hike. It didn’t take long to make our way to a nice little waterfall in the woods. At the waterfall David found a machete laying on the ground. We took a few pictures in the dark, using a one second shutter speed, before going a little further on the trail.

When the trail ran into the back of a house we decided to turn around. It was deep dusk as we made our way back out. When we were almost back to the vehicles, the search and rescue dogs ‘found’ us.

Driving through town we kept our eyes open for dinner options. We past a Milano’s pizza that looked pretty good. On the far side of town we found Elisha’s which had been suggested as a possibility to us. The sign let us know that on Thursdays two could eat for $18.99. We decided Milano’s was a good choice. Back at Milano’s we were waited on by a wait staff that had had too long of a day. Our selections from the menu came too slow, our decision to pay cash or credit came too slow, our drink decisions came too slow.

When the food came it was quite good. We enjoyed our pizza and wings. On the way out we were treated quite hospitably by an older Italian man. We assume he was Milano.

Before going to bed, we made some more progress on the cake and the placards, and the wedding favors. Nathanael stayed up even later working on finishing up our ascots.

The next morning we made our way to the reception hall, where we set about decorating.

In the late morning we made our way to the meeting house for rehearsal. If I recall correctly this was the point in the day when Morris joined the rest of us groomsmen. The rehearsal went well, though we were still missing a few of the pieces (flower girl and piano player). After rehearsal, I and Melissa (sister of the bride) went and got deli makings for lunch, while everyone else made their way back to the reception hall.

We did some more decorating. More fun people joined the preparation party.

For dinner we went to the lake house where the Bradford family reunion was taking place. It was a big, extended rehearsal dinner. The brownies were superb.

After dinner we again hit up the reception hall for some decorating.

Around 9:30 we were able to head to the meeting house to set it up. (It had hosted a lecture in the early evening. We rearranged the benches, tied some ribbons, and Michael placed the steps he’d built that afternoon.

Saturday morning we had a fun time keeping Nathanael and Sarah from running into each other. I got out of the house to go get milk and cereal.

Once at the church we discovered that the one groomsman who had not spent the night at the Emberger’s, was the one groomsman who had brought the wrong color shirt. Thankfully we had a spare. While Aunt Lel ironed it, the rest of us figured out how to put on ascots. We then practiced the groomsmen reading. The backup shirt arrived, and we were ready to go.

The ceremony went beautifully. There is something magical about two people who not only are in love with each other, but have also chosen to love each other, and are committing to continue to choose the way of love.

There has to be some way to do wedding pictures without making all the guests wait.

At the reception hall one of the groomsmen got lost in his car, fortunately we found him, before we were announced to enter the hall.

The food was great, the cake was fabulous. Then came the dancing. I’d never done contra dancing. I’m very much a fan. I like being told how to dance. I can follow simple instructions.

When things came to an end, my strength tanks in all categories were well past empty.

A wonderful, very full weekend.

Yesterday we (Mark, Seth, Stephen, Hahn, and myself) pulled up anchor on the floating dock, and paddled it all the way across the lake. On the other side of the lake we were met by a woman who asked us what we were doing. We told her we were just paddling across the lake on a dock. She asked us what were going to do next. We decided it was best to answer that we were going to turn around and go back. She said that was okay. We made the return journey.

I had a great day Sunday at Roxbury. I had opportunities to meet with several people who were able to be a real encouragement to me. I was able to see several friends.

Monday morning we packed up and headed out. It took a little while to get everything packed up, but it happened eventually. On the way up to NH we got to swing by and surprise Judah’s girl in Jersey. I think having eight people, a few of whom you’ve never met before, stop by your work place and surprise you, might be a little bit taxing for an introvert. She bore up admirably.

We arrived in New Hampshire at 23:30. It took us til 1:00 AM this morning to get luggage in for the night and get ready for bed.

This morning we awoke to a beautiful house right on the lake. Mom’s extended family, excluding Uncle Marks family, is already here. The Mark Bradfords will show up later today.

This morning Nathanael and I went out on the lake and did a little canoeing. I like being out on the water.

If only it were as easy as that. Yesterday with six hours to departure, a friend jokingly asked if I had gotten my reentry permit yet. I had not. That started a panic rush to the nearest immigration office (almost an hour away). The run when very smoothly. I was approved for reentry very quickly and only missed one class before getting back to school.

Having been gone during the day when I had planned to do some preparing. I was at at school later than I had planned, setting out lesson plans and materials for the teachers who are subbing for me in the coming week. By the time I got home I had about 25 minutes to pack and get a shower. Fortunately I’d been setting things I wanted to take a spare bed for a few days, so packing went quickly. However, in the rush I didn’t weigh my bag.

My check-in bag was 2 kg overweight. They told me it would be fine in Ubon, but when I got to Bangkok I had to move two kilograms to my carryon. I don’t like heavy backpacks, they bother my back.

I flew Thai Airlines to Paris, then American Airlines to New York. Switching airlines at CDG airport, meant switching terminals. Switching terminals meant getting my passport stamped to enter Paris, exiting the terminal, traveling to the other terminal, getting my passport stamped to exit the country, and emptying my pockets and getting my bag scanned to enter the new terminal. It was a good thing my layover was of four hour duration.

I’ll confess that there were several times in the airport when I heard people talking that I wanted to laugh. I haven’t encountered a lot of French-accented peoples in real life. French accents somehow got stored in my brain under ‘Hollywood effects/comedic devices’ rather than under ‘peoples of the world.’